Late-game execution both ignited and plagued the baseball team this week. The Judges blew a three-run ninth-inning lead in a 6-5 loss to Bowdoin College Sunday, but a clutch seventh-inning hit led the Judges to a 6-5 victory against Wheaton College in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. In game two of Saturday's doubleheader, strong Lyons' pitching was the downfall for Brandeis in a 5-1 loss. The team is now 11-12 on the season.

"We've been in an all-round hitting slump for a good portion of this season," second baseman John O'Brion '10 said. "We'll get runners on and then strand them outright."

The Judges took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth against the Polar Bears, but two singles, a walk and three hit batsmen later, Bowdoin scored three runs on the way to victory.

Rocco Toppi '08 pitched 6.1 innings for the Judges, giving up three runs on six hits, and was replaced by Tyler Robinson '08 in relief. Robinson loaded the bases and hit a batter to force in a run. Kyle Ritchie '10 was then brought in to close out the game and got an easy out before hitting the next two batters, forcing in the tying and go-ahead runs.

"That was a tough situation for [Ritchie]," catcher Artie Posch '10 said. "There's tons of pressure on him. He just threw inside a little too much."

Against Wheaton, Brandeis played two shortened seven-inning games.

In the seventh inning of the first game, first baseman Jeff Bourdon '07 came up with the walk-off RBI single after catcher Mike Alfego '09 and Posch were intentionally walked to load the bases. O'Brion led off the fifth with a homer, his first of the season.

Starter Drew Brzozowski '10 threw a complete game, giving up five runs on 11 hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He is 2-1 on the season with a 1.65 ERA.

"[Brzozowski] threw awesome," Posch said. "He was locating very well. He doesn't get flustered on the mound [and] he's so relaxed and confident."

In the second game, Lyons starter J. Moore pitched 6.1 innings, giving up just one run and two hits while recording eight strikeouts.

"[Moore] was throwing nasty stuff, and we just couldn't put the bat on it," said Posch.

Bourdon walked in the sixth and was moved over to second after a single by right fielder Ben Dashefsky '07 and was sent home on a groundout by shortstop Zach Golden '07.

Bourdon had an opportunity to knock in some runs in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs, but he flew out to right field to close the game.

Coach Pete Varney has been shuffling his lineup this week, rotating usual first baseman Ryan Healey '10 between the designated hitter and catcher.

The Judges have struggled to produce timely hitting this season, evidenced by the fact that they left eight on base against Bowdoin and 11 in the first game of the doubleheader against Wheaton.

"For the past few weeks we haven't been playing to par," O'Brion said. "We've been losing a lot of games, so we're just trying to switch things up and see if it changes anything."

The Judges travel to play Amherst College today at 3:30 p.m.